


Day 22: Secret Santa ft. Ishimondo

by Pippiuscattius



Series: Pippi's Holiday Shipping Challenge: Take Two [22]
Category: Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Also I headcanon him as autistic but it's more implied in this story, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Autistic Taka, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, First Kiss, Fluff, Gift Exchange, Holiday Shipping Challenge, Hope's Peak Academy, M/M, Mondo Loves Dogs, Owada Mondo Swears, Rated T for language, Secret Crush, Secret Santa, Taka is my son and I just want him to be happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:38:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21913006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pippiuscattius/pseuds/Pippiuscattius
Summary: Taka is overseeing the Secret Santa gift exchange at Hope's Peak, and he drew Mondo's name. Problem is, he can't stop second-guessing his choice of present, and his crush on the gift's recipient is not helping matters in the slightest.(This is part of a collection of silly, rushed drabbles for me to get into the holiday spirit. Make of them what you will, and happy holidays!)
Relationships: Ishimaru Kiyotaka/Oowada Mondo
Series: Pippi's Holiday Shipping Challenge: Take Two [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1569934
Comments: 6
Kudos: 183





	Day 22: Secret Santa ft. Ishimondo

**Author's Note:**

> ~I have only played the first game so no spoilers pleaaassseee~
> 
> ~Or else your house will be filled with diildoooooos~
> 
> (~Which isn't as pleasant as some of you heathens might assuuuuuume~)

Keeping the 78th class of Hope’s Peak Academy in line was never easy. Taka knew this better than anyone else, and had thusly done what he could to prepare himself for the chaos that was the annual Secret Santa exchange.

Taka had put himself in charge of things, knowing full well that he’d have a lot on his hands but that it was his duty to keep things structured and flowing smoothly. At the very least, that was the wishful thinking he’d gone into the event with, but…perhaps his faith in his classmates wasn’t misplaced.

Things started off surprisingly smoothly under Taka’s direction. Everyone remained seated at their respective desks in their homeroom, and upon calling out for the exchange to begin, each student navigated to pass their wrapped and bagged bundles to the intended recipient.

In all honestly, Taka had some concerns when he’d read over the randomized list of gift partners. For example, would Sayaka be able to find something that the esteemed Byakuya Togami wouldn’t throw right back in her face? Yes, actually: a set of golden cufflinks she’d apparently obtained somewhere along the way in her pop idol career.

But what about Hifumi’s gift to Toko? The fanfic creator had some…erm, specialized interests, and Toko tended to be very, _very_ sensitive about receiving gifts, but he came through in the end. Hifumi procured a fountain pen for Toko which, although it had a logo from some anime printed on the side, served a practical enough purpose for the ultimate author that she accepted it with minimal fuss.

Junko was always a wild card, so what could Chihiro get for her? The little programmer came through with a bottle of strawberry perfume that actually pleased the fashionista. Yasuhiro was spared any potential wrath from Celeste when he gave her a set of crystals, although she fancied them more as wealthy status symbols than for the psychic purposes Hiro had intended. Makoto offered a charming model airplane to Mukuro that actually brought a smile to the girl’s face, Sakura had found a fancy coffee blend for Kyoko to enjoy, and Aoi had a sparkly bracelet for Sayaka.

Taka stood by his own desk, hands on his hips and he proudly surveying the proceedings. Even as he reveled in the triumph, anxiety gnawed at his gut. He had yet to present his own gift, and the longer he thought about it, the more nervous he felt.

Of all the names he could’ve drawn from the list, Taka received Mondo’s. For most people, getting their best friend’s name in a gift exchange was a wonderful turn of events; unless, say, that best friend was one who you had begun to harbor some definitely more-than-friendly feelings towards in the time since you’d known them, which only spiraled hopelessly out of control the more you learned beyond their tough guy, gang leader exterior and how kind-hearted and well-intentioned he was, and how much he loved dogs, and—

Chest constricting, Taka took a few measured, deep breaths. Overthinking would get him nowhere, other than a meltdown.

There was no excuse for waiting around any longer. Taka had already received his gift—a red, woolen scarf from Leon—and Mondo was in the process of wrapping up his own gift exchange. The biker towered over Makoto, watching with anticipation as he pulled a magnifying glass from the tissue paper of its gift bag. Mondo said something about “getting’ friendly with the detective chick” and “helpin’ him out” through his choice of gift. Makoto appeared flustered, but grateful.

Taka’s fingers rapped on the table with increasing swiftness, a nervous stim he’d held onto for many years. Even if Mondo didn’t like his gift, or thought it was in poor taste, or whatever else could go wrong, Taka knew that Mondo was good at heart and that they could work things out. He had to believe that, or else he’d never work up the nerve.

Holding the neatly-wrapped box against his chest, Taka marched across the room towards Mondo. The gang leader turned to him with a winning grin, and Taka felt his knees turn to jelly.

“Mondo,” he addressed a little too loudly (as he often did), “I would like to present you with my gift.”

A few heads turned towards them, but Taka resisted the urge to shrink under their invasive curiosity. Nonetheless, he found his mouth was glued shut with so many eyes on him.

“You got my name, bro?” Mondo asked, brightening. “Hell yeah! What’d you get me?”

Try as he might, Taka couldn’t focus his attention towards forming words. Even as the number of stares around him lessened, he couldn’t shake off the unpleasant tingles coursing through his back and shoulders at the thought of them.

“…Taka?” Mondo checked, leaning down a bit to look Taka in the eye. “You alright? You need to step out for a bit?”

Ah, there it was: yet another example of Mondo’s soft, teddy bear interior he let so few truly see. Taka reflexively smiled at the consideration and nodded his head, too grateful to worry about how the class would fare in his absence.

“Gotcha.” Mondo straightened up and cupped his hands around his mouth. “Alright, you little shits better behave! We’ll be back.”

Knowing better than to disobey Mondo, everyone else resumed trading gifts and following the rules (although Junko stuck her tongue out in defiance, even she wasn’t about to cross him.) Gently, Mondo put a hand on Taka’s shoulder, and the pair exited the classroom to stand in the hall. Finally, Taka felt like he could breath right in the quiet environment.

Clearing his throat as his voice returned to him, Taka scolded, “You shouldn’t have implied a threat when asking our classmates to follow the rules, you know.”

Smirking and leisurely leaning against a locker, Mondo countered, “But it worked, didn’t it?”

…Well, Taka couldn’t argue with that. “I suppose the outcome is desirable…thank you, Mondo.”

Lifting his head so he could see better around his pompadour, Mondo pointed at the giftbox. “You can thank me by showing me what’s in there.” Taka recognized a glint of genuine excitement in Mondo’s lavender eyes. “I can only imagine what you got me, bro, the suspense is killing me!”

Angry butterflies poked at Taka’s insides. He couldn’t back out now, and it _was_ better for Mondo to receive the gift where it was just the two of them…

Scrunching up his face, Taka extended the box to his friend. Chuckling softly, Mondo took the gift and ripped off the ribbon typing it closed, tearing through the silvery wrapping paper. Once he lifted the lid off, he stopped, his face falling into something unreadable. Taka immediately feared the worst.

“I-I’m sorry if it’s too weird!” he stammered. “I just thought, after everything you’ve been through, and everything you’ve trusted me enough to confide in me, that I—and you frequently say how much you miss him, I just wanted to…”

As tears of defeat began to prickle just behind Taka’s eyes, something shifted in Mondo’s expression. A bittersweet smile broke out on his lips, and then suddenly it was _Mondo’s_ eyes at risk of spilling over with tears.

Slowly, Mondo lifted the fluffy white bundle from the box. The plush stared at him with wide eyes, its likeness stirring something deep within him.

“Wh-where’d you—” Mondo stopped himself, bringing a fist to his mouth to avoid getting choked up further. “It—holy shit, it looks _just_ like him!”

Still bracing himself for failure, Taka murmured, “I found a service that recreates deceased pets as plush toys, and I know how much Chuck meant to you, so I wanted to give him back to you, somehow.”

Staring at the plush a little longer, Mondo finally looked back at the boy who’d given it to him, a dazed but good look in his eye. “Fuck, I…I could kiss you right now.”

Before those words could even register in Taka’s brain, his heart answered. “Please do.”

Had he not been frozen in place, Taka would’ve slapped a hand over his mouth or attempted to retract what he’d said, and instead the surprise on Mondo’s face brightened. “Never thought you’d ask.”

Mondo stooped down just a little, angling his face as best as he could so that his intrusive hairpiece wouldn’t get in the way. Taka held his breath, certain he’d wake up at any moment from a dream too good to be true, but sure enough he felt Mondo’s lips pressed to his for several drawn-out moments.

The reality solidified itself when Mondo pulled away, gently ruffling Taka’s spiky black hair on his way back. They both stood in silent awe of what they’d just managed, a happy tension buzzing in the air.

Fingers clicking together in a joyous tic, Taka nearly leapt at Mondo to capture him in a massive hug. Mondo staggered but gladly returned it, pressing several more kisses into the top of his head. Taka nearly bounced in place, bursting with positive energy he could hardly contain. This was by far the best Christmas present he could’ve ever expected.

The pair walked back into class hand-in-hand, and if anyone had anything to say about it, Mondo silenced them with a smug, pleased glare.

_Thus ends the twenty second day of Christmas._


End file.
